iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Annemieke Milks

Liran Samuni @lirsamuni.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

🐒 Work with primates? Have you observed 3 or more individuals grooming together? Polyadic grooming is barely documented and we know little about its distribution. Please take 1–2 minutes to fill out this short survey and share: forms.gle/cLPB1mnwrjJo...

forms.gle

Polyadic grooming in primates

survey about observations of polyadic grooming in primate species

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Still processing everything after returning from a visit to look at wood remains with Dr. Hui Shen from Mengxihe, China (Sichuan province), directed by Dr. Zheng Zhexuan. Can't wait to see how this progresses. Organics are hugely expanding our understanding of Palaeolithic behaviours!

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Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Apropos of nothing I'm starting an occasional thread on the importance of Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, to the story of human evolution. Its one of the most important Palaeolithic landscapes in Europe and we should celebrate that fact a lot more. Look out for updates #ClactonPrehistory 🏺🦣

Map from White et al 2023 showing the distribution of ice age deposits in the vicinity of Clacton-on-Sea https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016787823000603

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

It was really an honor to give this. I was so thrilled to see Unravelling come to UCL, to catch up with so many friends and colleagues from across the UK, and to meet inspirational Masters, PhDs and ECRs in Palaeolithic studies! What a fantastic conference! Thank you @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social

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Sadie Watson @drsadiewatson.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

I’m thrilled to join the Carena Institute @bbkhistorical.bsky.social team, which will develop my teaching, build on my research, and also means @drclaireharris.bsky.social and I get to work with @lesleymcf.bsky.social @jenbaird.bsky.social and Esther Breithoff! ✨💚

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Dr Claire Harris @drclaireharris.bsky.social · 18/08/2023

🦣 Take a virtual field trip to some of the key Palaeolithic sites along the North Norfolk coast. Including text, videos, images & links to further resources. www.pabproject.org/research-project… Happisburgh | Archaeology

pabproject.org

North Norfolk Coast Virtual Field Trip – Pathways to Ancient Britain

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Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Now we have Dr @beccyscottuk.bsky.social talking about the 20 year legacy of expert off-shore Palaeolithic archaeology by @wessexarchaeology.bsky.social 🦣🏺 #UTP26

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Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

Now it's @lettyingrey.bsky.social from @archsoutheast.bsky.social on how we sample for the Palaeolithic in the development sector. What do successful sampling strategies look like? What are the obstacles to implementing such a strategy? 🏺🦣 #UTP26

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Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

The final talk from this session is @drclaireharris.bsky.social from MOLA on making impact through effective public engagement on the Palaeolithic. 🦣🏺 #UTP26

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Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 02/06/2026

NEW When #Neanderthal remains were discovered in Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan, the fragile and crushed condition of the bones prevented detailed analysis. A year of conservation work helps explore the complex mortuary practices observed at the site. 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy... 🏺 #Archaeology

Neanderthal skull in various stages of reconstruction, from fragments to an almost complete skull.

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Reposted by Annemieke Milks

Graham Taylor @pottedhistory.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

First 3 replica Roman, London 555, Amphorae made for a client, each approximately 1 metre tall. 2 more amphora types to make, a total of 13 pots. 🏺Unfortunately the process is not quite as fast as it appears here. See lots of our other replicas potted-history.co.uk or commission us. #archaeology

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Last week to register for the Unravelling the Palaeolithic conference in London! Tickets are available for in person, and online. Hope to see lots of people there!

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Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

The Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 (preliminary) conference program is now available! Join us 19th/20th June for two days of excellent presentations on all things Palaeolithic, Palaeoanthrolopology, and Pleistocene. Tickets on sale until 7th June. sites.google.com/view/unravel...

sites.google.com

Unravelling the Palaeolithic - Timetable and Programme

Preliminary Conference Timetable Now Available!

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Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias @ceciliapad.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

🚨I couldn’t be happier to share that today I’m officially starting my own research group at the Human Origins Cluster of Excellence in Tübingen (@humanorigins.bsky.social)!🚨We’ll explore drivers of genetic, phenotypic and cultural evolution by integrating evidence from many fields in creative ways 🧬

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

A year ago today my teenage daughter underwent a 5.5 hour spinal fusion. Scary, painful, and a challenging multi-month recovery needing lots of at-home care. No regrets: today she's strong, tall, healthy. A million thanks to the incredible healthcare team of 2 surgeons, 40+ nurses, and physios!

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Timo Canessa @timocanessa.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

We are pleased to share our new paper on the Iberian Aurignacian. We employed a quantitative approach to explore techno-typological variability and test its spatio-temporal dimension. @palomadelalasca.bsky.social Paper: doi.org/10.1371/jour...

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Unravelling the Palaeolithic 2026 @unravellingpalaeo.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Call for papers deadline extended to 10 April 2026! You’ve got more time to get your abstract in for Unravelling this year at UCL If you were on the fence before now's the time to turn your research into a submission Don’t miss out!

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

One of 2 key reasons I've just had a grant application rejected was a reviewer's perspective that experiments involving human participants don't give viable data on technologies of other Middle Pleistocene human species (I acknowledge this limitation in the application). I'd love some wider views...

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Wonderful - a different window into the archaeology of childhood!

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

I'm SO honored to give this year's Unravelling the Palaeolithic keynote at UCL (where my archaeology journey started) for a conference that supports postgrads and early career researchers focusing on the Palaeolithic. I can't wait to hear from the next wave! Register, submit, spread the word!

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Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Book your tickets and join us for the 2026 Long Man Lecture with @archaeologyuk.bsky.social President Raksha Dave

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Aidan O'Sullivan @aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Repeatedly the UK government have sought to save smaller British industries, while ignoring the huge university sector which has enormous impacts, in a university city for example

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

This is how I started out in archaeology - a brilliant program!

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UM_EHAP @umehap.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Help recognize people who have gone above and beyond in communicating and countering misinformation about human evolutionary science by nominating them for the 2026 Evolution in the Public Eye award! Self-nominations allowed too. Deadline extended until February 7th! forms.gle/VXJgczHA1irD...

forms.gle

EPE 2026 Award Nominations

Nominations for the University of Michigan's Evolution & Human Adaptation Program award: Evolution in the Public Eye Nomination deadline: January 31, 2026 Award Description: This award honors outsta...

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

I love how accurate the reconstruction is: she is carving a small alder trunk, in the right direction on the basis of the toolmarks we documented on the tool, with the landscape, palaeolake and fauna in the background all rooted in the evidence from Marathousa 1. Thank you Katerina & Gleiver!👏

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Katerina Harvati @katharv.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

The artwork that illustrated our PNAS paper on the oldest wooden tools was made by Gleiver Prieto, who has also worked with me on illustrations for previous projects, including the paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Marathousa 1. Gleiver's art really brings Pleistocene Megalopolis to life ✨ 🤩

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

I waited in for a full WEEK for a refurbished laptop from @backmarketofficial.bsky.social to be delivered by DHL. I don't know whether the driver has stolen the item or is just incompetent, but Backmarket won't help either. Good news: I can request a chargeback from the bank so I can get my £ back!

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Reposted by Annemieke Milks

Universität Tübingen @unituebingen.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Die bisher frühesten bekannten Holzwerkzeuge, die Menschen nutzten, stammen aus Griechenland. Ein Forschungsteam der Universitäten Tübingen und Reading sowie der Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung hat rund 430.000 Jahre alte Belege entdeckt: 👉 uni-tuebingen.de/universitaet/… #Archäologie

Eine künstlerische Darstellung eines Menschen in prähistorischer Fellkleidung, der einen Ast bearbeitet. Im Hintergrund sind Landschaftselemente wie ein See, Berge und grasende Tiere zu sehen. Text im Bild: "Frühester Nachweis von Menschenhand genutzter Holzwerkzeuge". Oben ist das Wort "Forschung" zu lesen.

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Thank you @andrewcurry.com for covering the research and to colleagues for contributing their thoughts! Artistic reconstruction by G. Prieto of a Palaeolithic woman producing a digging stick at the Marathousa site from a small alder tree trunk with a small stone tool (copyright K. Harvati).

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Dr Matt Pope @mattpope.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Science article on the discovery here from @andrewcurry.com with great recon art by G. Prieto www.science.org/content/arti... 3/3

science.org

Oldest wooden tools may have been used to butcher elephants

Branches sharpened 400,000 years ago shine light on humans’ early toolmaking

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

It was such a privilege to get to work on this amazing material from an incredible site and team - now the earliest handheld wooden tools in the archaeological record, taking evidence back to 430,000 years! www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

Evidence for the earliest hominin use of wooden handheld tools found at Marathousa 1 (Greece) | PNAS

The Middle Pleistocene (MP; ca. 774 to 129 ka) marks a critical period of human evolution, characterized by increasing behavioral complexity and th...

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Katerina Harvati @katharv.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Such a pleasure to share our latest article on the wooden tools from Marathousa 1 (Megalopolis), the oldest known in the world at 430 ka. Congratulations to the team! Evidence for the earliest hominin use of wooden handheld tools found at Marathousa 1 (Greece) | PNAS www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

pnas.org

Evidence for the earliest hominin use of wooden handheld tools found at Marathousa 1 (Greece) | PNAS

The Middle Pleistocene (MP; ca. 774 to 129 ka) marks a critical period of human evolution, characterized by increasing behavioral complexity and th...

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Gabriele Russo @gabrieleru1.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Usually, stones and bones get all the attention, but wood was part of the toolkit too, and the evidence is growing! 🪵 A new paper by @annemiekemilks.bsky.social et al. reports the earliest handheld wooden tools (~430 ka) from Marathousa 1 (Greece)! @harvatilab.bsky.social 🦣🧪🏺

pnas.org

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 11/01/2026

This year I have the privilege of lecturing in lithics, experimental archaeology, human evolution, early prehistory, and the European Lower Palaeolithic at U. of Reading. It's a lot...but also, very exciting to be in a position to share my knowledge and experience with students!

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Roberto Sáez @robertosaezm.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Al contrario que el desarrollo prolongado en el neurocráneo de H. sapiens y H. erectus, en Au. afarensis y P. robustus los patrones de desarrollo son variables: Complex and diverse patterns of neurocranial development in Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo

nature.com

Complex and diverse patterns of neurocranial development in Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - Complex and diverse patterns of neurocranial development in Australopithecus, Paranthropus and Homo

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Academia doesn't have a healthy work culture, and neither does America. So imagine my (total lack of) surprise when I got proofs for an article ON Christmas day from a big American journal, followed by email reminders to do them w/in 48 hours. Nope nope nope. I am on vacation. Enjoy your breaks!

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João Marreiros @jmarreiros.bsky.social · 02/12/2025

I am very happy to see this published! Congratulations 🥳 to Okopi Ade, it was a pleasure to have you in our lab at @tracer-leiza.bsky.social @paleomonrepos.bsky.social @leizarchaeology.bsky.social We all learned a lot

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Last weekend I got out on my board for a wonderful session (just me and a few others out on the meanders). Today might be the last warm day before the temperature drops by quite a large margin so maybe I can fit one more in for 2025!

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Our wider research culture in archaeology is a shame, I hang on dearly to those collaborators that are decent, supportive (especially of early career researchers), share ideas, work well with others, and understand what 'constructive' feedback means. Every day I try to be that person for others.

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

Two key points from our paper: 1. We found wooden spears to be 'effective' on large prey, whether thrust or thrown. Results were pretty similar between the two. 2. We still think the Boxgrove horse was hunted! Just, that based on the experiments, that particular piece of evidence doesn't hold!

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Tom Booth @boothicus.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Avoid jumping to conclusions about mechanisms behind large-scale genetic shifts in the past! This paper doesn’t prove that small scale migrations of Homo sapiens led to the gradual replacement of Neanderthal DNA but suggests this explanation is as good as any other. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

nature.com

A simple analytical model for Neanderthal disappearance due to genetic dilution by recurrent small-scale immigrations of modern humans - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - A simple analytical model for Neanderthal disappearance due to genetic dilution by recurrent small-scale immigrations of modern humans

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Dr Izzy Wisher @izzywisher.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Time to update your Palaeolithic palettes... 🔵 Very proud to share our new research on the OLDEST use of blue pigment! We identified traces of azurite - a vibrant blue mineral - on a stone object around 14-13,000 years old. Why is this so exciting? 👇🏺 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

Close-up image of a sand coloured stone, with a diagonal crack. The sand rock has a textured surface, and small spots of blue can be seen towards the centre of the stone. The background is grey.

Microscopic photo of the blue spots, that are irregular in shape and size and positioned diagonally across the image. The rest of the photo shows the rough sand coloured texture of the stone.

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Latest paper: Boxgrove is a key European site dating to 480,000 years ago. At GTP17, hominins knapped handaxes and then butchered an adult female horse. A fragment of the horse's scapula appeared to have evidence of impact from a wooden spear..... www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

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Annemieke Milks @annemiekemilks.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Help maybe? I'm trying to finalise a grant budget and include some £££ for artistic reconstructions but I haven't had much luck getting estimated costs. I'd LOVE to pay real artists for this...but if I don't know how much to cost for I can't really budget for it.

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Sheina Lew-Levy @sheinalew.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

@durhampsych.bsky.social current has 5 (FIVE!!) PhD studentships being advertised! 3 to work with me on children as agents of cultural evolution 2 to work with @drboothroyd.bsky.social on examining school-based body image interventions. Please share and apply! www.durham.ac.uk/departments/...

durham.ac.uk

Fees and Funding - Durham University

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